Collera Rifatta
by prophet144
Summary: This is my version of Rage. The title is Italian for Rage Redone. It is AU with Ollie/Clark as a couple. It is second in the AQD series and to understand Tyler, you need to read Another Queen in the Deck first.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Smallville or any recognizable characters. Tyler Queen, however, is all mine. If you'd like to borrow him, please ask first. I'm stingy that way with my playtoys.

This is the second in the AQD series, kinda. It'll fill in the gap between the end of Another Queen in the Deck and the end of Rage. I have 2 drabbles done for Christmas: one is a Bart/Tyler and the other is Clark/Ollie. They are posted here and on my LiveJournal page. I apologize for the delay in this, but life got in the way. Enjoy. If you have not read Another Queen in the Deck, I suggest you read that first in order to understand who Tyler is and what he's referring to at the end of this story.

Collera Rifatta

Clark grinned as his back brushed against the bookcase, toppling several of the tomes to the ground. Both he and Ollie were still in suits, having gone out that night to dinner as they had almost every night that Tyler had been staying at the farm. Now, it was all they could do to keep their hands off of each other. Still, he had something in mind for the blonde billionaire and he wasn't going to get sidetracked.

Moaning into his mouth, Clark tore away reluctantly, smirking as he gently pushed Oliver backwards causing him to land on a green chaise lounge. Then, he moved over to his lover and straddled his legs before leaning in and capturing those lips once more. When the need for air arose, he pulled away, looking down at the man beneath him.

"Wait. I have a surprise for you."

Smiling, Ollie raised a hand to run it through the brunette's locks. "I like surprises... but I don't like to wait." He smirked before capturing the younger man's lips once again.

Clark easily pushed him back. "This one will be worth it, I promise." He kissed the blonde again and stood up, walking over to the spiral staircase that led to the bedroom. Easing the jacket from his shoulders, he draped it over the railing as he climbed, looking back at his lover with hooded eyes before he disappeared at the top.

Sitting back on the chaise with a smile, he wondered what this surprise of Clark's was going to be. Briefly, the thought that he was glad, even though it was Tuesday, that his brother was still out at the farm went through his mind before being broken up by a muffled scream and the blair of a car horn.

Frowning, he made his way out onto the balcony and peered down. Movement off to the left caught his attention and he saw a carjacking in progress. He was moving towards the Arrow room before he even gave it a conscious thought. With practiced ease, he slipped into the costume that rested behind the doors.

It was only as he slide the glasses into place that the thought of calling out to Clark flitted through his mind. Pushing that thought aside, he reasoned that he'd be done with this and back before his lover came down the stairs once again. With that last thought, he headed out to take care of business so he could return and get his surprise.

"Come on! Get out of the car! Get out! Hey!" one of the thugs yelled grabbing the young woman.

"Hey! Please, don't hurt her!" her boyfriend pleaded as the gunman dragged the woman.

"Get up! That's it," the thug urged.

"No! No! No!" the woman cried.

"You want some of this?" the thug asked maliciously.

"They don't, but I do," the Green Arrow broke in, causing everyone to look at him. Before anyone could move, he took out one of the thugs, shooting him with a bolt from the crossbow. The idiot's partner, seeing this, hopped into the car and tried to flee.

Moving effortlessly, Ollie mounted a stack of crates leading to a small landing, trading the crossbow for his bow and readying an arrow as he moved. Cresting the landing, he moved to the edge, sighting the car below and let fly. His aim was true and it struck the car, sending it crashing into several parked vehicles near the end.

Jumping off the landing, he made his way over to the car, drawing a pair of handcuffs once he reached it and handcuffing the guy to the steering wheel.

He smirked at him before speaking, "Don't worry. The cops will have a key." Backing out of the car with a grin, he started to turn around, surprised at finding himself staring at a gun as the first gunman stood there. Thoughts were going through his head about how this guy was even up at the moment, let alone pointing a gun at him.

"Surprise." Without warning, the would-be carjacker fired, sending a bullet flying to rip a hole through the Green Arrows upper chest. Stunned, Ollie stumbled slightly before collasping to his knees on the unyielding pavement before collasping onto his back. Among the thoughts that were flying through his head was if this was the last time he'd ever see Clark and what was going to happen to his brother, as blood slowly pooled beneath his body.

Unaware of what was happening outside the penthouse, Clark slowly made his way downstairs the stairs, clad in only a pair of hunter green silk boxers. Noticing that the area was empty, he looked around using his X-ray vision when his normal sight only yielded an empty room.

"Come on out Ollie. I'm pretty open-minded, but kinky-hide-and-seek sex isn't my game." His attempt at a joke fell flat and a frown marred his features as he moved forward into the room. This time, he used his hearing to try and pick up at least his lover's heartbeat. Finding nothing, he sighed softly and headed back upstairs. Once he was dressed again, he left the apartment, returning to the farm.

The next morning, Clark was helping his mom carry in the results of her Thanksgiving shopping. They'd passed Tyler as he took off for a ride, something his mom said the younger Queen had been doing since he got better.

"Mom, I know I have a big appetite, but you got enough food here to feed a small army," Clark said as the pair made their way into the farm after a quick shopping trip.

"I thought it'd be a good idea to invite a few people over for Thanksgiving this year, starting with Tyler and Oliver." Martha replied.

"Actually, I was hoping we could keep it low-key. I'm not feeling very thankful this year," he remarked sadly, thinking of his father and Oliver's obvious rejection. Tyler had raised an eyebrow at finding him at breakfast that morning, but hadn't questioned him about it.

"Well, I know it's gonna be a hard day, Clark, especially after what just happened to Raya, but company could help,"

"Mom, it was dad's holiday. He carved the turkey," Clark stated, almost whining.

"I can carve this year,"

"Dad was the one who made sure we all said what we were thankful for and he always made sure that I was thankful for my abilities. But you know what? He was wrong. If I was normal, he would still be here, carving the turkey with grandpa's old carving knife." Sighing, he didn't notice his mom frown.

Martha watched her son carefully. Something besides the upcoming holiday, his dad and Raya were bothering him. For now, she'd let him be about it, but soon she'd make him talk to her about what was going on.

Before anything else could be said, Lois walked into the kitchen, surprising them both.

"Hey guys," she stated, making herself at ome.

"Hi Lois," Martha said, "How are you?"

She rolled her eyes. "I'm totally missing out." Grabbing a bagel, she leaned against the counter. "There's a big scoop at the Daily Planet and I missed it!"

"Why? What happened?" Martha asked as Lois reached over and grabbed a copy of the paper.

"Then you haven't heard the news," Lois replied, showing them the paper. "The Green Arrow was shot last night. It's in today's Planet. A man found him bleeding and went to call for help. When the police got there, all they found was a bloodstain."

Clark looked over at his mom, his face pale as he made the connection with Ollie's vanishing act the night before. Martha looked shocked as well, but inclined her head toward the door.

"Clark will you check on Tyler before you go back and get those last few items for me?"

He nodded. "Sure mom." Grateful for the way out, he grinned at Lois before leaving. As soon as he was out of their sight, he sped off towards Metropolis.

Lois watched him leave the house, then looked at Martha. "So who's Tyler?"

It took only a few minutes for Clark to reach Metropolis and the penthouse, but his anxiety about Oliver's condition had him almost ripping the door upward as he exited the elevator. Looking around the room, he relaxed a bit when he found his lover lifting weights.

"Oliver," He practically breathed the name out as he made his way over to the blonde, barely waiting until the older man had set the weights back into the rack before capturing that mouth with his own. "Thank god. Are you okay?"

Oliver watched him for a moment, trying to figure out what was going on with his boyfriend. "It's called exercise Clark. Something us mere mortals have to do from time to time."

"Yeah well, according to the Daily Planet, the Green Arrow was shot last night." Clark watched as Oliver stood up, pulling on a black sleeveless T-shirt.

"If I'd been shot, don't you think that I'd be in a hospital or a morgue somewhere. I'm not bulletproof like you Clark. Besides, you of all people should know that you can't believe everything that you read in the papers."

"It's the Daily Planet, not The Inquisitor. A witness saw you lying in a pool of blood." He raised his voice slightly as he spoke the last, watching as Oliver made his way over to the desk.

"Well, maybe it was someone else with a preference for the color green." Oliver shrugged, lifting something from the desk.

Clark glanced around the room, trying not to let his frustration with his boyfriend get to him. That's when he spotted Oliver's Arrow vest laying out in the open.

"What's your Arrow gear doing laying out in the middle of the room?"

"I'm uploading a video. See? Check this out." He held up a pair of the glasses he wore as part of his costume. "Now I've got footage of the scumbags. So if they try to runaway, I can track them down." Turning the glasses towards Clark, they reflected the brunette's image onto the screen.

"Oliver you're getting sloppy. Your gear's laying out in the middle of the room and the door's unlocked. What if someone else had walked in here, like Lois?"

"You know what? I've had a lot on my mind lately Clark. You of all people should know that. Apparently, you were too busy using your powers to bale hay to notice that we've got a crime wave going on here in Metropolis. Let me ask you a question Clark. Are you ever going to get up off your ass and finally do something for a change? I mean hell, even my brother is willing to get out there and fight crime, but you're not doing anything." He threw the question and statement out there rudely, catching his lover off guard with his attitude.

"I didn't come here to be insulted."

"Well there's the door Clark, I don't remember you being invited."

Clark stared at him in utter shock for a few moments before he was able to find his voice once again. "Oliver, what's wrong with you?" His lover's words had hurt and he was trying desperately to understand where all of this might be coming from.

"Clark, I don't need to take advice from someone who's only worry in life is protecting their own identity."

"That's a lie and you know it," Clark told him.

"Let me tell you something - when I'm out there, when I'm out on the streets, I'm protecting people, all right? I got much bigger things to worry about -- like staying alive!" he hollered, the glass in his hand shattering and cutting the skin up in his palm.

"Are you okay?" The brunette watched him carefully.

"I'm fine, just get out of here." He grabbed a towel and wrapped it around his hand.

"Ollie," Clark started, reaching out to take his lover's injured hand in his own.

"Just leave Clark!" Oliver pointed towards the door.

Hanging his head slightly, Clark headed towards the elevator. As he waited for the lift to begin moving, he caught sight of Oliver reaching into a drawer for something. While the door closed, he used his X-ray vision to watch as his lover injected something into his arm. 'Oh Ollie, what are you doing?'

Oliver finished injecting the slightly glowing green liquid into his bicep and then removed the towel from around his hand. He used the cloth to wipe away any residue of blood and found the area healed. Flexing his hand slightly, he noticed that there was no twinge or anything to indicate that only moments before he'd had shards of glass in the area or that it had been bleeding. After this and last night, it was definitely time for a little visit to the person responsible. He sighed, first off what needed to be done was some sort of apology given to his boyfriend. Picking up his phone, he called the local florist and placed an order before heading off to the shower.

"You're a miracle worker, doc." Dr. Pamela Black turned to find Oliver Queen standing behind her.

"We need to talk, Mr. Queen," she said seriously and he smiled.

"We certainly do. I finally found myself injured badly enough to use the RL65. And it works -- perfectly. And not just once. I cut my hand, and after one injection, I was completely healed," he said proudly.

"Well, don't take any more," she replied moving past him causing the blonde to chuckle.

"Last time I checked, Doctor, you work for me," Oliver reminded her.

"The lab mice have been exhibiting irrational cognitive behavior. And more troubling, violent tendencies," Dr. Black explained.

"I'm not a mouse. I feel fine," he told her.

"Do you? No lapses in judgment? No sudden outbursts of anger?" she asked him and he flinched slightly before regaining his composure.

"Not really, but I am starting to feel one coming on right now," he pointed out.

"It's not worth risking possible psychosis just so you can climb Mount Everest or parachute out of your Learjet," she pointed out in return.

"This isn't about my recreational activities, Doctor. We're on the verge of a medical breakthrough that could save countless lives. I'm more than honored to be the guinea pig," With that, he began to grab handfuls of vials of the RL65 serum from the lab table. Turning to her he smiled.

"Trust me. I can handle the occasional temper tantrum." Turning back around, he began making his way out of the lab.

"I take it this wasn't a party favor," Chloe asked as Clark handed her a syringe he had found while looking around Oliver's penthouse. He'd been dejected when he hadn't found his boyfriend there, but took the opportunity to look for the drugs.

Also, he was trying to avoid going back to the farm. Apparently Tyler had seen the paper and despite several texts and a phone call, the younger Queen was still upset and worried about his brother. The last thing Clark wanted to do right now was go back without something to tell him.

"I kinda broke into a locked drawer at the apartment. There might be some residue still left on that," he told her, nodding towards the syringe.

"I'd call Oliver Queen a lot of things, but I never thought I'd call him a junkie," she replied looking at the syringe closely.

"Chloe, I don't think he's getting high," Clark said remembering the cut on Oliver's hand … the alleged bullet wound.

"Come on, Clark. You of all people should know that everyone has their secrets. Besides, it's not that much of a stretch to think that a jet-setting billionaire might have a little habit to hide."

"And he's also my boyfriend … I would know … Now can you please just get it checked out? We'll know for sure that way," he asked softly and she nodded with a smile.

"I'll text my bio-chem buddy at Met U. Hopefully he hasn't left for Thanksgiving already," she told him and he nodded, then turned to leave.

Pausing for a moment, Clark looked back at her. "Hey, that Green Arrow story, did that victim actually see him get shot?"

"No, but the people that own the car did come forward and say that he saved them from a carjacking that night. He hasn't been spotted since," Chloe stated, watching Clark nod.

"Hi guys," came a voice and both turned to see Lana coming over.

"Hey," Clark said giving her a small smile.

"Um … us girls were just gonna get some lunch," Chloe told him, slightly uncomfortable. She'd hoped that he'd already be gone by the time that Lana showed up.

"That's great. Have a good time. It was good to see you Lana," he stated and turned to Chloe. "And Chlo … call me as soon as you know okay?" When she nodded, he made his way over to the elevator.

"He seems happy," Lana remarked once the silver doors had closed and she watched Chloe's face break into a smile.

"He's the happiest I've ever seen him," she admitted and reached for her purse.

"I want you to check something out for me before we go," Lana asked.

"Yeah, okay. My Google is your Google. What do you need?"

"I'm curious about this halfway house that Luthorcorp Foundation supports. I offered to get involved, but Lex won't let me anywhere near it. He says it isn't safe,"

"Well, most halfway houses aren't exactly amusement parks, Lana," Chloe pointed out.

"I don't think that's it. Lex swears that he's honest with me, but lately he's --he's been a little secretive. I don't know. Maybe I'm reading into it,"

"No, I think you're just being cautious, which is smart. Don't worry. We'll figure things out," Chloe replied looking up in time to see Lana fade out on her, finally fainting to the floor.

"Are you all right? Lana! Lana? Are you okay?" Chloe asked coming to her friend's side.

"What happened?"

"Well, from where I was sitting, it looked like you fainted. Let's get you to a doctor,"

"No. It's okay. Can we keep my little siesta between us? I really wouldn't want anyone to worry," Lana asked.

"Well, it's a little late for that, but yeah. Okay … let's go get something to eat then, maybe it will help?" she offered and Lana nodded as the pair made their way out of the building.

Tyler had moped about the farm for most of the day waiting for word from Clark about what was going on with his brother. As evening approached and he still hadn't heard anything, the younger Queen decided that a trip to town was in order. Leaving a note for Martha, who was upstairs getting a shower, he grabbed his helmet and jacket, grateful that Clark had brought his bike out the other day and took off.

Pulling into the parking garage, he frowned as he spotted a woman entering the elevator. As she turned to hit the button, recognition hit and his thoughts turned to wondering why Lois Lane would be in the building. Quickly, he parked and jogged over to the elevators, using his key to bring the private elevator down. It would make him have to go in the back way, but it was better than letting the nosy reporter find out something she shouldn't. Stepping inside, he unzipped his jacket and stuffed his gloves into his helmet, hoping that Ollie wasn't home.

Oliver stood in the middle of the room, dressed in his Green Arrow gear as he watched the video of his shooting. Silently, he waited until it turned to static before he turned it off and pulled his hood up over his head. Reaching into the drawer beside him, he pulled out several more vials of the healing drug and secured him in his vest. He was so absorbed in his task, that he didn't hear Lois come into the room.

Lois wasn't even sure why she was here. Granted, part of her wanted to see if she and Ollie could still be friends after their break-up, but another part really wanted to apologize for some of the cracks she'd made when she dumped him, especially about his brother. When she exited the elevator, the last thing she expected to see was the Green Arrow going through Ollie's things.

Moving quietly, she picked a dumbbell up off of the rack and moved closer, raising it into a striking position as she crept closer to the vigilante.

Tyler shed his jacket and dropped his helmet off on his way down the hall, then quickened his pace when he heard the other elevator arrive. When he came into the open area of the living room, a quick glance showed trouble. Without thinking about the consequences, he started running towards Lois. Even as she brought the dumbbell down against his brother's back, he found himself shouting. "NO!"

Oliver had just pressed the button to lift the screen out of the way when he felt the impact between his shoulder blades. Without thought, he immediately reacted, sending the intruder flying away from him even as he registered his brother's scream.

Lois dropped the weight as she went flying, crashing into another body as they both landed almong the glass desk, collasping it to the floor. A sharp pain pierced her back as she watched the leather clad vigilante come towards them.

Tyler knew that he was in trouble as soon as he saw the weight impact his brother. Knowing that there was nothing he could do to stop something bad from happening, he tried to lessen the blow Ollie had given Lois only to misjudge the spacing and having her careen into him instead. He slide partially over the glass desk before it collasped beneath them, impacting his head hard against the ground and sending him into blackness.

Wanting to cry out to his brother, Ollie forced himself to hold back as he approached the pair laying on the ground. "I didn't mean--"

"Stay back, I'm warning you. I'm calling the cops right now." Lois started dialing while she kept her eyes on her attacker. "See 9-1-1. Now get away from me or I swear I'll rip your green head off."

Knowing that he didn't have a choice, Ollie cast one more glance at his brother and Lois, then made his way out of the penthouse.

Lois sighed as the operator came onto the line even as she reached a shaky hand behind her and came away with blood.

"Hello?" She asked, her voice shaking slightly.

"9-1-1."

"I need an ambulance, hurry."

Entering the hospital room, Clark sighed in relief seeing Lois awake.

"Lois, what happened?"

"Well, lucky for me, I walked in on Green Arrow pulling a reverse Santa Claus on Oliver's apartment," she told him and he looked at her in shock. 'He couldn't have, Clark thought'

"The Green Arrow did this to you?"

"I guess it was only a matter of time before he hit up the new billionaire in town. Luckily, I was able to get in a few solid licks of my own. He'll be nursing a couple broken ribs, for sure," she told him. "Although, I'm not exactly sure who the hell I landed on or where he came from.

As if on cue, Clark heard a voice that he recognized coming from down the hall.

"I don't care if I have to sign myself out AMA, I am leaving and I'm leaving now!" Tyler was pissed. It didn't matter to him that he'd still been unconscious when he arrived, the doctor had told him that he only had a slight concussion. To him, that was nothing and he wanted out of there, worry for his brother overriding everything else.

Clark sighed. "Excuse me Lois." He left the room and made his way down the hall. "Tyler, it's okay. Just calm down."

The blonde turned to Clark and wrapped his arms around him. "Did you find him? Is he okay?"

Placing a hand on Tyler's back he looked at the doctor. "I'll take responsibility for him and he won't be alone tonight, promise."

The doctor sighed. "Fine, but if he starts showing any signs that he's getting worse, he comes back immediately."

"I'll make sure of it. Anything else besides the concussion?"

"He's got some deep bruises on his back, but other than that and the head injury, no." He sighed off on Tyler's chart. "Mr. Queen is free to go."

Nodding at the doctor, Clark started leading Tyler down the hall. "I'm going to take you back to the farm, then go after Ollie. He'll be there for Thanksgiving, I promise you Tyler. I won't let anything happen to him."

Sighing softly, he looked up at Clark. "I know you won't. Guess this means I can't convince you to take me back to the tower so I can get my bike, huh?"

"No, it'll be staying there until Ollie says you can ride it again."

"Figured you were going to say that." He didn't protest as Clark picked him up once they were out of sight of anyone who could see the farmboy use his abilities. Instinctively, he tucked his head against Clark's next and closed his eyes, trusting in the man that was as much a brother to him as his own.

Lifting himself over a barrier on the roof, the thug stopped in his tracks seeing the Green Arrow standing in front of him.

"I'll take that," Oliver said, nodding at the bag of stolen goods the idiot had in his hand.

"I put a bullet in your chest," the thief stated indignantly.

"And now you're gonna pay for it," Oliver told him menacingly.

"I don't think so," the thug replied cockily. Threatening him with the crossbow, Oliver looked on in shock as the man made his way to the edge of the roof, diving off. Looking over the edge, Oliver spotted the man lying on the ground, only to start getting up.

As the thug miraculously gets up off the ground having survived the fall, he is quickly tackled by the Green Arrow.

"Hey, buddy. How did you survive that fall?!"

"Yoga. Now, let go of me!" the thug replied.

"Tell me how you were able to heal or I'm calling the cops!" Oliver threatened.

"You'll call anyway."

"You may be able to heal, but that doesn't mean you don't feel pain!" he stated, raining several punches to the man's stomach before putting him in a chokehold against the fence.

"Let go!" the thug demanded.

"You start talking!" Oliver said spinning him around to look at his face.

"There's this doctor comes to the halfway house. We get these shots they say are vitamins. That's some kind of vitamin, huh?"

"What's the doctor's name?!"

"How am I supposed to know?!"

"What does he look like?!" Oliver asked angrily.

"It's not a he. She's a chick," he replied and Oliver looked at him, anger evident on his features. Sending a final knockout punch to the man's head, he turned and started heading back into the night.

"Waste not, want not. What happened, doctor? Bad batch?" Dr. Black turned from destroying the vials to find Lex Luthor standing a few feet away. She frowned going to grab another batch.

"The project's shut down," she said.

"Look, I might have come into this game a little late, but I'm paying you a lot more than Queen. He isn't shutting down anything,"

"You're right. I am. And I could care less about your petty rivalry," she replied.

"This has gone beyond one-upmanship, doctor. Your research is now a personal cause of mine,"

"Find another cause. I won't be responsible for any more violence,"

"You should have thought about that when you took my money."

"I admit I was blinded by greed. But now that people are getting hurt, money means nothing to me. I'm going back to the drawing board. All existing RL65 is being destroyed," she told him.

"I'm sorry, doctor. I can't let you do that."

"Hey, how's Lois?" Chloe asked as Clark made his way toward her desk.

"Physically, she's fine. Of course, she wasn't the only one hurt. Tyler was there and helped break her fall. I took him back to the farm after he tried to sign himself out AMA. He's okay, just has some bad bruises on his back and a concusion." The brunette sighed. "I'm worried Chloe … I can't find him anywhere."

"Maybe this will help. My science geek analyzed the liquid in that syringe, and you're right. No one's gonna take it and go to a rave. It's a cutting-edge molecular modifier that has something to do with tissue regeneration?"

"So it has some sort of healing power,"

"Conceivably. But according to my Einstein, it also packs a mean punch to a part of your brain called the amygdala, which triggers violent and aggressive behavior. Now, why in God's name would Oliver be injecting something like that?"

"I don't know. But I need to find him before he does something he regrets or worse. Who created the drug?" Clark asked.

"A woman named Pamela Black is the only one doing that level of research. She's a professor at Princeton and has been taking a recent sabbatical to work with Queen Industries,"

"If she's supplying the drugs, then most likely Oliver is gonna show up for more." Clark reasoned, The two shared a knowing look before heading out of the office.

Making their way into the lab, both are surprised to see the place torn apart, equipment and supplies strewn all over. Walking further in, they find Dr. Black lying in a pool of her own blood. Reaching down Clark feels for a pulse and frowns.

"She's dead," he said.

"And her place has been completely pillaged,"

"Look, drugs or no drugs, I can't and will not believe that Oliver would kill someone."

"Well, he was definitely here. Or rather, the Green Arrow was here." She pointed at an arrow imbedded in the wall.

Clark sighed and started looking over the area, focusing his vision, he examined the vent. "Chloe." Making his way over to it, he removed the cover.

"Clark!" she said in surprise as he began pulling out various filed.

"These folders are from a halfway house in Metropolis called Second Chance. This doctor, she was giving the kids there the same drugs Oliver was taking," Chloe looked up at Clark. "Lex's foundation funds this halfway house,"

"Lex co-opted Oliver's scientist. Those two have been at each other since high school," Clark told her.

"And the Green Arrow got in the way. Ever the crusader for the underprivileged, he must have gotten wind of Dr. Black's secret experiments and decided to take care of her his own way," she told him and that's when Clark realized what was going to happen. "Only, she was probably already dead when he got here."

"If Oliver found out that Luthorcorp was behind this, Lex could be the next target."

Walking down the hallway with his bodyguard, Lex waited for the elevator doors to open.

"The car is ready sir," he told him and suddenly a whistling noise could be heard as the bodyguard dropped to the ground, an electrical charge incapacitating him.

"Sorry, Luthor. Work's not over yet," the Green Arrow said aiming his crossbow at him as he ushered Lex back into his office. Making him sit in his desk chair, Oliver slid a document in front of him.

"What is this?"

"Sign on the dotted line, and all your assets will be divided among the 50 global charities listed below." The crossbow never wavered as he kept it pointing at Lex.

"Would you mind telling me what I've done to deserve this?"

"After your lofty support of the Second Chance Halfway House, I think it's a natural step. I went by to check out the facility , and after some gentle prodding, the director told me what you and Dr. Black were doing to the residents,"

"He was lying," Lex replied.

"So then I went to pay the good doctor a visit, and guess what? She's dead. I knew you weren't a saint, Luthor, but killing a woman to cover your tracks?"

"You're delusional."

"Sign it." Oliver asked noticing him shaking the pen. "What the hell are you doing?"

"It's out of ink," Lex said, setting it down as he reached under his desk pulling out a gun. "Drop it!"

"You first," Oliver replied.

"What do you think is faster: an arrow or a bullet?"

"There's only one way to find out," the Green Arrow replied.

Suddenly both fired, the arrow and the bullet grazing each other as they go by. Falling heavily to the floor, Oliver gasped, reaching for a vial of the drug, injecting himself just as Clark arrived. Looking at his boyfriend, Clark noticed Lex crumpled on the floor.

"Oliver! What have you done?"

"He pulled a gun, Clark. I had no choice," Oliver stated, defending his actions as he began to stand even as Clark made his way over to Lex.

"Lex? Lex?" he asked but received no response.

"Now, let nature take its course," Oliver said strolling over. Clark looked over his shoulder, turning in shock before standing to face the blonde.

"Oliver, that's the drugs talking. It's not you," Clark told him.

"Hey, that drug is the best thing that ever happened to me, Clark. I'm not bulletproof like you, all right? I got to do whatever it takes. I need that drug," he said and Clark came forward grasping Oliver's vest tight as he pulled him close.

"Oliver, you're not a killer!" he told him.

"No, but he is, Clark. You and I both know the world's a better place without Lex Luthor," Oliver told him and Clark's heart broke seeing the effects that the drug was having not just on Ollie's mind, but his body as well with a heavy coat of perspiration blanketing the blonde's handsome face.

"That's not for us to decide. Oliver, where are the drugs?"

"Lex -- he took it all. He took it all from the lab," Oliver said, his gaze shifting slightly and Clark turned seeing a briefcase. Making his way over he ripped it open pulling out a syringe of the serum.

"Let him die," Oliver said putting a hand on Clark's shoulder, but the brunette lashed out sending him flying against the opposite wall of the office. Clark injected the serum into Lex but looked on in horror as he remained unresponsive. Standing he turned to look at Oliver, who  
looked up at him from the ground.

"You killed him. You killed him," he repeated and watched Ollie's eyes shift to Lex, who suddenly groaned. Clark turned to see Lex begin to stir before making his way over to Oliver.

"We have to go," he told him and helped the blonde up as they both made their way out leaving Lex behind.

Clark walked into the penthouse slowly. He hadn't been back since he dropped Oliver off here early Wednesday morning. Now, it was Thanksgiving and he needed to talk to the blonde so that he could keep a promise.

Oliver was sitting behind a new glass desk, absently twirling a pen in his fingers.

"Hey," Clark said softly, catching the blonde's attention.

"Hey Clark, didn't expect to see you today."

"Yeah well, I came by to make sure you were coming to dinner."

"I don't know Clark. I mean, after what happened, what I did to Tyler." He shook his head.

"You need to be there today Ollie. Tyler expects you be there. Besides, the drugs are over with, right?"

"Definitely. I've seen the light about that."

"What made you come to your senses?" Clark asked softly, as he moved closer to his lover.

"Actually, you did. This whole time, I just wanted to be like Clark Kent, you know? I wanted to have the ability to bring justice to the world without having to worry about getting killed in the process. And then something occurred to me, and I realized that, you would never take another man's life. I came within an inch of doing just that. I'm not even in your league." Oliver wrapped his arms around the brunette, ducking his head slightly in shame.

Clark reached down and gently cupped his boyfriend's chin. "Oliver, you do a lot of good in this world. You don't need to be indestructible to be a hero," he told him.

"You're right. I know that I should be thankful for who I am and the abilities that I have. I know that now more than ever," Ollie replied.

Smiling softly, Clark leaned in and kissed him gently. "Make sure you're not late for dinner. No one needs to be alone during the holidays."

"Fine, I'll be there. Just need to take a shower and get cleaned up first." He captured the brunette's mouth for another kiss.

"Then get going, the bird will be waiting at the Kent household." Grinning at his lover, he left, knowing that there was one more reunion that he had to take care of once he got back to the farm.

"There," Lois said, setting her pie down on the counter. Clark, dressed in a light blue dress shirt and khaki pants, made his way over looking at the pie in horror seeing a blackened crust.

"Did you cook that on the barbecue?" he asked.

Tyler snorted. "Looks more like she used a blowtorch than anything else."

"It's a little crispy on the outside, but it's what's on the inside that counts," she told them.

"I'm sure it's delicious. Clark, would you put the hotplate on the table, please?" Martha asked as the two boys continued to look at the pie.

"Did you talk to Oliver today?" Lois asked and Clark looked up with a frown as Tyler started walking away.

"Lois, please, don't go there right now, okay?" He shot his eyes towards Tyler.

She held her hands up. "All right, I was just asking."

When the doorbell rang, Clark looked over at Tyler. "Hey Ty, can you get that? Think it might be for you."

Frowning, Tyler moved towards the door and opened it. On the other side was the one person he hadn't expected to see. Sure, he'd hoped that his brother would come and Clark had promised, but he still was unsure if it would really happen. He opened the door for his brother, who held a bottle of wine in one hand and some flowers in the other.

"Wasn't sure what I should bring." The older Queen stated as he walked into the house, handing the items off to Clark, who then ushered Lois out of the kitchen as well.

"Almost didn't expect you to show up."

"Well, I'm here, so Happy Turkey Day," his brother told him

"Where you been? I've been worried about you," Tyler stated, knowing that the last few days must have been hard on him, but he had a feeling the space was definitely needed.

"Yeah. Um... listen, that's all over now. I'm like a walking drug-free zone, honest," he told him.

"So if I were to hug you right now, you would throw me through the wall or anything?" The younger Queen teased.

Oliver appeared to think about it for a moment before smiling. "Get over here," he said wrapping his arms around Tyler and closing his eyes at the feel of holding his brother in his arms again.

Tyler sighed as Ollie held him close, not wanting to let him go after almost losing him.

"I'm so sorry I ever hurt you," Oliver apologized and Tyler pulled back to look him in the eyes.

"I'm okay, we're okay," he promised.

Setting the turkey down on the table, Clark smiled hearing everyone's impressive comments. Looking around the table he smiled at all the people gathered. Oliver sat directly to his left with Tyler next to him, Chloe to his right. Lois sat on the other side of Tyler with Lionel next to Chloe, and of course, his mother sat opposite him, smiling at something Lionel had told her. As people began to converse more, he cleared his throat, continuing to stand.

"If I could have everyone's attention, please, um, I'd like to make a little announcement," he said looking at his mother with a smile as all eyes turned to him.

"Um... our family has a tradition that goes back way before I was even born... where everyone takes a moment to say what they're most thankful for in their lives," he explained, unable to stop his gaze from shifting to Oliver, who lifted his lips in a small smile.

"I would just like to say that I'm most thankful for my mom and dad ... whose faith in me taught me to have faith in myself. Thank you," he told his mother. Martha looked at her son with a teary smile. Sitting down, everyone began to dig in to the meal, handing various dishes across to one another. Watching Oliver pass a plate to someone, he smiled tugging on the blonde's jacket sleeve and he turned to him with a smile.

"Yes, Mr. Kent?" he asked teasingly, leaning close to him.

"I'm glad you decided to come."

"Yeah well, I couldn't disappoint the two most important people in my life now, could I?"

"No, guess not." Leaning in, Clark captured the blonde's lips with his own. "Happy Thanksgiving, Ollie."

Ollie returned the kiss, letting it deepen slightly.

"Okay you two, enough already. Some of us want to eat." Tyler stated, hitting his brother in the chest and pushing Clark's head away, causing everyone to smile.

Oliver looked over at Martha. "Gotta pardon my brother, he's obviously only thinking with his stomach right."

"Better than what you're thinking with."

Martha laughed softly. "I'm used to it Oliver, trust me. Now, everyone, eat."

After dinner, Tyler left the house to go out to the barn. It wasn't that he was tired of everyone's company, but he needed a few minutes by himself. When Clark had first told him his suspicions about Oliver doing some sort of drug, he hadn't wanted to believe him. Then Chloe confirmed it with the findings she got from the syringe Clark had given her.

Growing up, he'd gotten several lectures from his brother about the ass whippings he'd get if he ever even thought of using drugs. So to find out that the same brother had been using, no matter what the reason, had shaken him. Now that Ollie was clean again, it was hard for to stay mad.

He was so lost in his thoughts, that he didn't hear it when someone else entered the barn. The clearing of the throat behind him is what grabbed his attention.

"I'm sorry about the other day." Ollie stated, not touching his brother until he was acknowledged.

"You didn't know what you were doing." Tyler turned to look at his brother, his back against the stall of the horse he'd been petting.

"Still, it never should have happened."

"Just don't let it happen again or I'll have to kick your ass. Or have Clark do it." He was quiet for a few minutes. "I know that Bryan doesn't want me to travel for a few months still, but I want to see Bart before Christmas. Maybe have a small celebration of our own." He cocked an eyebrow. "Unless of course, you're planning on telling Clark sometime soon about the team."

Ollie sighed. "I think after what just happened, it's going to be a little while before I spring something else on Clark. We've got some making up to do and some trust to re-establish. Just like I have with you. I don't, however, have a problem with you spending a few days with Bart. Maybe get a hotel or something nearby and have an early Christmas there."

Tyler nodded. "I'll think about it." He grinned at his brother. "So, what are you going to get him for Christmas?"

The older Queen groaned. "Man, don't even go there. Considering all the new people I have to buy for this year, I want it to be truly special. Only right now, I have no clue what that might be."

"Well, you better get cracking big brother. Otherwise, you might find nothing but coal in your stocking as a result."

"Keep it up and I might only be giving you coal."

"Naw, you love me too much."

Oliver pulled his brother into a hug. "That I do, Ty. That I do."

Sighing, Tyler let himself be held. Things might not be perfect between them, but they were definitely getting better.


	2. Sneak Peek of New Story

***Since I took so long getting Collera Rifatta out, I thought you'd like a sneak peek at the first chapter of the next story in the series. Hope you enjoy it. The title is still in the works but the first chapter is going to be called Flushing Out the Enemy. Let me know what you think so far.***

Standard disclaimer applies as always. I still only own Tyler.

"Dammit Ollie, will you quit that already?" Tyler was getting mad at his brother. For two hours now, they'd been at work stacking hay in the barn while Clark tossed the bales up from the bottom. It wouldn't have taken so long, but every so often the older Queen would grab a handful of hay and stuff it down his shirt. He didn't even want to think about all the places the small bits of hay currently resided in since they were already itching him.

He'd turned around to face his brother, determined to tackle him this time when a hand landed on his shoulder. Without thinking, he gripped that hand and dropped slightly, delivering an elbow strike to the person's midsection even as he tossed the person to the ground without letting them go. His fist was drawn back to strike when Clark wrapped his arms around him and pulled him up off of Chloe, who had stopped by to surprise them.

"Stop Tyler!" He held onto the younger Queen until he settled while looking over at Ollie. "She okay Ollie?"

Ollie had knelt beside Chloe as soon as Clark grabbed his brother. There hadn't been time for him to warn her and he knew that Tyler had been unaware that she was there. The little blonde had landed hard on her back, the breathe knocked out of her lungs and she appeared to be slightly stunned.

"Think she just got the wind knocked out of her." Looking up at his brother, who Clark was still keeping hold of just not as tightly. A soft groan from the petite form beside him drew his attention again before he could say anything. "Just concentrate on breating Chloe."

She nodded as she laid their, the warning Ollie had given them back at the penthouse to never startle Tyler having found new meaning in her mind. True, she had seen him work a few forms since he'd started getting back into shape, but other than the one day in the penthouse Tyler had never seemed that dangerous compared to his brother. Now, however, a new respect had formed in Chloe's mind for the younger blonde.

"Okay, so the next time someone warns me not to startle someone, think I'm really going to listen." Letting Ollie help her sit up, the pint-sized reporter faced Tyler. "Maybe I should have you teach me a few moves."

Tyler just stared at her for a few moments before jerking out of Clark's hold and making a run for the edge of the platform. The move startled them all enough that by the time they figured out he was going to jump, it was too late to stop him. With the practiced ease of someone that was used to acrobatics, Ty launched himself at the rope that was hanging from the rafters. The gloves he'd been wearing to stack the hay the only things that saved his hands as he slid down the rope and dropped the last 10 feet to the ground.

That was where his flight ended as Clark used his superspeed to get in front of him. "We're going to talk about what just happened Tyler."

"What just happened? I almost took out Chloe, Clark. That's what the hell just happened." Fear over having hurt the little blonde and anger that he'd let himself be startled like that colored his voice as he stood toe-to-toe with the brunette. "Now let me go." He tried to brush past the farmboy, but another hand on his shoulder stopped him. Again, his instincts took over, only this time, the fist that was thrown was caught by his brother. Anger flooded him as he launched an attack on Ollie.

Noticing what was going to happen, Clark went over to Chloe, holding his best friend close. "You okay?"

"Yeah, just a little sore." She watched the two brothers circle each other, one of them occassionally sending out a punch or kick, testing the other. "Someone's going to get hurt."

"I'll stop it before it gets too bad, but they need to do this."

Chloe frowned up at him. "They need to beat the shit out of each other? That doesn't make any sense Clark."

"They both have a lot of issues to work out Chlo. One of those is the fact that Oliver's been treating Tyler like someone he needs to protect. That's part of the reason Ty spent over a week out here with just mom before Thanksgiving. For Ollie to stop protecting Tyler, he needs to know that his little brother can take care of himself. This is probably the only way he's really going to understand that his little brother isn't a kid anymore."

Rolling her eyes, Chloe sighed. "This could get messy."


End file.
